Kentucky Rep. Tom Massie (R-Ky.) on CNN.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), citing nothing to back up his beliefs, said on CNN Wednesday he doesn’t believe Syrian President Bashar Assad is behind this week's chemical attack on civilians — and isn’t sure if it even happened.

“It’s hard to know exactly what’s happening in Syria right now,” said Massie, who voted against an American intervention in Syria in 2014.

“I’d like to know specifically how that release of chemical gas, if it did occur — and it looks like it did — how that occurred. Because frankly I don’t think Assad would have done that. It does not serve his interest to draw us into that civil war even further.”

There is no known reason for anyone to doubt the chemical attack — which killed more than 80 Syrians, including children — or that Assad oversaw it. U.S. officials and President Trump have explicitly blamed Assad for the carnage, as have numerous activist groups based in Syria. Assad also has a history of using chemical weapons on citizens during his country’s civil war, and has been repeatedly condemned by human rights organizations for it.

CNN host Kate Bolduan was clearly baffled by Massie’s doubt and asked him who he thinks is responsible for the attack.

Massie said he thought it was “plausible” that the gas leaked from an ammunition arsenal that was attacked — which is the same explanation given by Assad and his Russian allies.

“That’s plausible. I’m not saying that’s what I think happened,” he said.

“I don’t think it would have served Assad’s purposes to do a chemical attack on his people,” he added.

Syrian President Bashar Assad.

(Uncredited/AP)

“It’s hard for me to understand why he would do that. If he did.”

Massie has a history of dabbling in conspiracy theories and unsubstantiated accusations. He told CNN in February that he believed President Trump was being played by the American government's so-called “deep state” to provoke a conflict with Russia.

During the investigations into the 2012 Benghazi attacks on a U.S. facility, Massie, who was on the House Oversight Committee, made numerous claims that turned out to be false, such as saying there was a “stand down” order given to the security team protecting those who were attacked.

Trump made clear in a press conference Wednesday that he believes Assad committed the chemical attack. The President, who has so far argued against trying to topple Assad in Syria’s civil war, called the slaughter “an affront to humanity” that “crosses many, many lines.”